Filipino Best Recipes and All-Time Favorites Collection: Some Kitchen Tips and Important Reminders

BREAD / CAKES

Stale bread can be kept in the fridge till it becomes hard and dry. Grind the bread into powder. This can be used for cutlets, baking and various fried dishes.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead-no white mess on the outside of the cake.

Nuts and fruits will not sink to the bottom of a cake if they are lightly coated with flour before they are added to the butter.

Baking powder loses its leavening power with age. To test and see if it is still fresh, put 1/2 tsp baking powder into 1/4 cup hot water. If the water bubbles a lot, the baking powder is fresh.

After baking a pie, cool it on a wire rack. This allows air to circulate under it and keeps the crust from becoming soggy.

If toothpicks are too short to test a cake for "doneness," a piece of uncooked spaghetti does the job.

When going on a picnic, keep sandwiches from becoming soggy by packing lettuce and condiments in separate containers. Add them to sandwiches just before serving.

CANNED PINEAPPLE/ FRUIT COCKTAIL

Don’t throw away extra syrup from canned pineapple or fiesta fruit cocktail. It can be used as ingredient for marinade. Pineapple juice acts as tenderizer for meat marinade and removes fishiness of fish, seafood and chicken.

Save left over syrup or juice from canned fruit by freezing in small quantities in ice cube tray, bags or small containers. Use this flavor for desserts or as float to drinks, ex. gelatins or jellos, punch, ice candy)

Add left over syrup to water to simmer, cook fish, shellfish, meat or vegetables to be used for salads. This will enhance flavor and remove fishiness of fish and shellfish.

Soaking cut fruits like bananas and apples in pineapple juice or syrup prevents browning or discoloration.

Use syrup from canned fruits for marinating, making sauces, adding flavor, preventing discoloration and removing unpleasant odors.

FISH

Buy tuna fillet that is fresh, free from weird odor and without any dark discolaration.

When doing groceries, make the perishable items like fish or seafoods the last stop to avoid spoilage.

Do not soak meat and fish in water before cooking. Rinse quickly under running water if you need to clean it. Soaking renders them waterlogged and tasteless and takes away water-soluble nutrients.

Do not overcook fish; it should almost flake. If it starts to flake, it's already overdone.

Before scaling, rub the entire fish with vinegar and the scales will come off more easily.

Frozen fish fillet and steak are better cooked from partially frozen stage to keep its natural moisture while cooking. Just make sure to add a few more minutes to the cooking time. Never refreeze fish once its been thawed.

FRUITS
Press the narrow end of an avocado gently with your forefinger. If it gives slightly, it is ready to eat.

Bananas should not be peeled until you intend to use them, as exposure to air darkens their flesh.

Never leave peeled apples in a bowl of water, they will lose flavor and absorb water. Instead, use syrup from canned pineapple or fruit cocktail, this will make the apple taste better and not discolored.

Buy in bulk for fruits which are in season and cheap .You can preserve for future use and avoid buying them when they are out of season and expensive.

MEAT
In buying ground pork, buy pork pigue (lean) and request the vendor to grind it for you.

Some available ground pork are sometimes fatty and stale.

Portion the meat per your consumption and store in the freezer. This will avoid the "thaw and freeze" which will make the meat lose its flavor.

*Use polyethylene bag to coat meat or fish pieces with crumbs. Put crumbs or flour in the bag then add meat or fish. Shake well. The meat will be evenly coated and the bag can simply be thrown away after use.

When charcoal grilling, brush the grill with oil or butter before heating to prevent food from sticking to it. In grilling, allow pieces of meat to seal and brown before turning them over. Only turn once.

When buying meat, check the amount of fat, litid (or cartillage) and bones and determine how much is actually edible.

Use cheaper cut but good quality of meat, just tenderize by marinating or slow cooking.

Use peelings or trimmings of meat to make into stock.

Use meat and fish leftovers as filling for lumpia, sandwiches, siopao, croquettes or omelets.

To have more tender slices of meat, slice across, not along, the grain.

PASTA

Always use the right amount of water in boiling pasta. Just follow the cooking directions indicated on the package. This will help dilute the starch released during cooking and therefore prevent sticking.

Cooking time for pasta to get the al dente result is 10-12 minutes. Al dente means firm to the bite.

Overcooked pasta becomes soggy and absorbs too much sauce.

Dried pasta like Del Monte Macaroni can be stored for several months. Once the bag is opened, transfer into tightly sealed container and store in cool dry place. Putting a piece of laurel leaf in the jar will help prevent the infestation.

Soaking cooked pasta for salad in canned pineapple or fruit cocktail syrup will improve the taste of your salad.

When reheating cooked noodles, steam it rather that boil again in water. This way noodles will not become too soggy nor too dry.

After opening any pasta product, store unused portion in a tightly covered glass container to preserve freshness.

Add short shaped pasta to soup to make it more substantial.

POULTRY

The best part of chicken for making chicken nuggets is the breast meat. Cut deboned chicken breast into equal squares. Coat the leftover trimmings or irregular cut with crumbs or batter (flour mixture) and form into nuggets.

If you marinate meat, poultry or fish and wish to use the remaining marinade as a sauce, make sure it is cooked through and heated to a boil before serving to kill any harmful bacteria from the raw meat, poultry, or fish.

Thaw frozen poultry in the refrigerator allowing 3-4 hours per kilo. Room temperature thawing will increase the risk of bacterial formation.

Poultry shears are often easier to use than knife when cutting up chicken or duck.

When grilling or broiling poultry, leave the skin during cooking. It keeps the juices in and creates more tender result . If desired, remove the skin after the dish is cooked.

As a general rule , poultry is done when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.

Let chicken stand for a few minutes after roasting/ baking to retain the juices and make it moist.

SOUP

Flour can be substituted with cornstarch as a thickening agent. Use half of the amount of flour given in the recipe.

When using flour or any starch as thickener in the recipe, make sure to dissolve it first in the liquid until smooth.

Most soups freeze well, except those containing cheese, cream or other dairy products since they may separate and curdle when thawed and reheated. Freeze soups without these particular ingredients, then add when gently reheating. Freeze soups in individual microwave-proof containers for a quick microwaveable lunch or snack.

Eliminate fat from soup by dropping ice cubes into the pot. As you stir the fat will cling to the cubes. Discard the cubes before they melt. Or, wrap ice cubes in a piece of cheesecloth or paper towel and skim over the top.

Add short shaped pasta to soup to make it more substantial.

VEGETABLES

In cutting vegetables, try to have variations in shapes for added appeal.

Ex. instead of plain cubes for potatoes, use crinkled cutter to have shape.

Choose fresh sitaw. Avoid those with large seeds (matured), and dry looking (not fresh)

Buy fresh young corn that is firm and light golden yellow. Avoid those with dark spots and slimy coating

Refresh wilted vegetables specially leafy ones by soaking in ice cold water for few minutes

Use peelings or trimmings of vegetables to make into stock.

Make left over fresh herbs into dried herbs. Ex. basil, oregano

Buy in bulk for some produce which are in season and cheap. Preserve and store them for future use. This will avoid buying the items when they are out of season and expensive. Ex. Calamansi juice, tomatoes for dried and marinated tomatoes

When substituting dried for fresh, use 1/3 less, since dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh.

Peels onions under water to prevent eyes from "crying".

Soaking hard beans or legumes (like monggo, kidney, or white beans) in water overnight shortens cooking time.

Cook vegetables in small amount of water in covered pots to conserve nutrients. Do not throw away water/stock for use making sauces & soup.

To remove worms from cauliflowers and broccoli and other vegetables, submerge in a bowl of water with 1 tbsp of vinegar or calamansi or lemon juice or salt.

VINEGAR

Add vinegar in marinade to tenderize meat. Soak meat in marinade overnight.

To deodorize a chopping board, quickly swab with vinegar. Rinse and dry.

Cut grease by adding vinegar to dish water.

You should never store vinegar in metal container because of the acidity. Store them instead in enamel or glass containers.

COOKING /FRYING

To eliminate fat spattering and sticking when frying or sauteing, make sure the pan is hot before adding the oil. Sprinkling a little salt into the frying pan also prevents spattering.

Add a little oil to butter or margarine when cooking to prevent it from burning.

When frying food, the oil should be hot enough or the food will absorb it and will become greasy and soggy. On the other hand, oil that is too hot will cause the food to turn brown too quickly while the inside remains uncooked.

Fry a few strips of fresh ginger to remove fishy odor and flavor of leftover or used oil.

To evenly coat chicken, fish and other meat with flour and seasonings, place a coating in a polyethylene or plastic bag, then add the meat. Shake the bag until all the contents are evenly coated. Removed from the bag and cook.

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